Camping with kids - the feedback

[stallie]

As some of you may know from the D2 forum, I headed off to do the French Line with my two boys 4&6. Sadly we got as far as just north of Oodnadatta before having to turn back to Coober Pedy with a cracked TD5 head.

Sent the car home on a truck, we got the bus. Holiday ruined - or so I thought until this came home from my boy in prep...

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/07/283.jpg

"Camping in the desert with Daddy".

[dullbird]

Thats really sweet!!

I'm guessing for kids its not about the length of the adventure but the adventure itself.....

[goingbush]

Gold .... Thats what its all about .

(sorry to hear about the head tho,
to steal a quote from another marque
"its a LandRover thing" says me trip interrupts, Thanks R380 !)

Granddaughter visited us in Longreach caravan park and went back to school and got an elephant stamp for her talk on her visit to the "outback"

[mattmason1]

Fantastic. I hope the effort I'm going to to install some fold up seats in the back of my TD5 90 will give my kids the same appreciation of adventure as yours! I love the picture!

[numpty]

Thats great. The kids just love the adventure and that's what it should be about.

I have a couple of drawings my two did of the Stage 1 during our Cape York trip in '94. I'll have to try and find them and post them up.

[iClick]

Brilliant picture - my parents took us camping all the time. I'm glad that my boys love it just as much as I did!

On our last road trip during the school holidays we saw some Aboriginal rock art and it inspired my five year old to draw this..

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/07/284.jpg

[MacMan]

We don't have kids, but I can understand why that would make you smile. :D

[tonic]

This was us last weekend, he's 4 and this was our first all boys weekend at a mates weekender, 800 acres no good for farming but great for boys.
First time on a quad, all I heard after first getting on and "dont go fast daddy" was "go faster daddy".

The best photo is how much SWMBO packed for his 2 nights away.

His got a dad who was in scouts for 17 years and has been camping all his life, so the boy will be camping as much as time allows.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/general-chat/63466d1374826957-autism-spectrum-disorder-top-resource-jack-camping-1.jpg

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/general-chat/63467d1374827129-autism-spectrum-disorder-top-resource-jack-camping-2.jpg

[tonic]

As some of you may know from the D2 forum, I headed off to do the French Line with my two boys 4&6. Sadly we got as far as just north of Oodnadatta before having to turn back to Coober Pedy with a cracked TD5 head.

Sent the car home on a truck, we got the bus. Holiday ruined - or so I thought until this came home from my boy in prep...

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/07/283.jpg

"Camping in the desert with Daddy".

That truely is brilliant

[davidsonsm]

Can't wait till mine are old enough. Reckon 4&6 is just about right to get them cracking.

[Bushie]

Some pics of the kids are just priceless.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/07/281.jpg
(I know I've posted it before :))
Eldest at Dalhousie almost 24years ago


Martyn

[stallie]

I've lost count of the number of times that people say, "But they won't remember anything of the trip." That might be partly true - but......

We did a 3 month Kimberley trip last year. They were 1, 3 & 5 at that stage. It was hard work with the 13 month old as she wasn't walking at that stage and crawling in the speargrass was difficult. She started walking on the beach at Quandong Point - and that made life easier.

But the three year old got an incredible amount out of it. He grew up so much relative to his peers in the short time - his Kindy teachers still talk about it, the boy that changed from shy and timid to the class leader. He did a basic show and tell when he returned and talked lots about his trip to everyone. The 5yo sent emails and pics back to his Kindy class and when he got back did snow and tell with Dingo skulls, cool rocks, red sand, paintings etc. Fantastic self confidence and awareness of our huge country.

I reckon 3 1/2 is the earliest age that they will get a lot out of it as a person. They have enough awareness of things to get excited about them. They grow so much, and have such an awe about the world. Especially when you can teach them about their place in the universe by doing this

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/549569_10151003297916537_923056482_n.jpg

About 30kms west of the Granites on the Tanami Road.

[TJS-70Y]

Old enough? :)

I was 8 weeks old when my parents took me to the high country in the first week of September. It snowed for 2 days straight. I'm now 29 and can't get enough of the bush. Myself and my sisters used to go away with mum and dad for a 4 or 5 week trip every year.

Thomas

[davidsonsm]

I know what you mean. We've taken our baby at 13 months. I was more referring to old enough in the context of a trip without mum. Wouldn't want to do it without the missus any younger than 4 & 6.

[newhue]

I don't care if they can't remember, it's basic programming at a subconscious level for me. There is, peace, wonder, and grounding in the outdoors. A simple experience that is so complex it doesn't matter.

[vnx205]

It isn't just infants who can be enthralled by a camping trip.

Several years ago, I took my son, my father-in law and my mother-in law's brother on a trip from Brindabella up to the Blue Waterhole in the Series III.

The MIL's brother lived in England, was in his eighties and visiting Australia for the first time.

Years later, he still spoke of that trip as the highlight of his visit to Australia. He still remembered the fact that we had just got the fire going enough and with a lot of wood on top so that it survived a sudden brief downpour. He remembered how the young couple camped near us weren't so lucky and had to share our cooking fire.

I guess it was something so different from his life in England that it stuck in his mind.

In the same way, that first camping trip would be such a new world for most young kids that it would make quite an impression on them.

[vnx205]

... .... ... There is, peace, wonder, and grounding in the outdoors. A simple experience that is so complex it doesn't matter.

I agree. That is why when people on this forum have asked advice about what to take on a camping trip to amuse their young Pre-School, Infants School or early Primary School age children, my advice has always been not to take anything. There is enough to see and do in the outdoors to keep any child amused.

My one concession is to suggest a little bag like a library bag that they can use to collect things to talk about around the evening fire; things like feathers, stones, leaves, gumnuts, bits of sap, cicada shells, bits of bark, dead beetles, old bones etc.

[mojo]

We started camping with our daughter when she was 2. She's nearly 4 now and loves it! Hasn't drawn us any family camping pics yet, but I'm sure that'll come.!

Now we've got 5 month twin boys, so that's slowed us down a bit, but hopefuly we can get into it again soon- I'd like to take them on their first camp this spring.:)

[stallie]

That is why when people on this forum have asked advice about what to take on a camping trip to amuse their young Pre-School, Infants School or early Primary School age children,
On our Kimberley trip, the boys had a small Tonka tip truck, 6 matchbox cars and two small ikea sandpit scoopers as we were spending three weeks on the coast. As well they had a scrap book each and some crayons to draw at night.

I have a great picture of the racetrack they made in the barren gibber desert near Oodnadatta. Much more fun than Play Schoool on the TV.

And we don't have a DVD player in the car. The only electronics we let them use is the HEMA iPad map app which the then 5yo - who has remarkable spatial awareness- used to learn to read maps. He'd then tell us when the next intersection, river, radio tower or town was coming up.

[Bundalene]

We have taken our 2 children away on a yearly camping holiday since they were born. Sitting in the back of a Landrover for days on end was the norm - they loved it then and both now do the same with their own families now. I am sure they wouldn't change it for the world







Camerons Corner in the mid 80's
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/07/275.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/248/0vys.jpg/)






Port Stewart east of Coen on Cape York the year after the above pic.
http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/6996/w8mf.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/850/w8mf.png/)



Erich

[goingbush]

you have to programme the kids young, preferably pre-school , you have only got till they are 10 to influence them, after that they are off on a tangent.

my first memory is of a the back of a series 2 driving away from me after I fell out, (apparantly I was intrigued with how the door handle worked)

On the last trip Val thought it was a good idea to take some Toy Story dolls as the grandkids were into that, Emailed pics of them whenever we had comms, the two in Aust didn't seem so phased, but the one in USA could not get enough, Now all she wants to do is come to the outback, collect rocks & loves lizards.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/07/274.jpg

[Yorkie]

^^^ they are brilliant, great idea and cool shots. :D:cool:

[Yorkie]

I agree. That is why when people on this forum have asked advice about what to take on a camping trip to amuse their young Pre-School, Infants School or early Primary School age children, my advice has always been not to take anything. There is enough to see and do in the outdoors to keep any child amused.


have to agree, our recent trip both kids brought a back pack with stuff, i do not think they looked in those bags once!. :D

[Reads90]

Got the cars and the camper trailer but I have not taken my boys camping yet. 4 and 3 year old
This summer I am going to do it and have some fun with them.

The plan bigger trips around Aus

I am lucky that I drive to most parts so of qld and fly to the rest and also the same for NT. So I have seen all of qld and NT on a regular basis well a 8 week cycle really. My area for work that I control and have to visit is every where north of Coffs Harbour and across to the WA border.

So can't wait to go to alot of these places with my boys and not just for work.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

[goingbush]

<snip>
And we don't have a DVD player in the car. The only electronics we let them use is the HEMA iPad map app which the then 5yo - who has remarkable spatial awareness- used to learn to read maps. He'd then tell us when the next intersection, river, radio tower or town was coming up.

you better believe it, I turn the sound on the GPS off and the 6yo grandkid tells me where to go from the booster seat in the back, AND tells me if I've gone over the speed limit (by 1kmh) ...... sshesh !! :angel:

[stallie]

Tunnel Creek. Left the girls at the entrance as SWMBO's feet were cramping in the water. The boys were very excited and scared going through a long dark tunnel with who knows what in the water... I had to carry the 3yo a couple of times.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/07/265.jpg

Better than a zoo....

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/07/266.jpg

Climbing with three kids out of Wolfe Creek Crater (youngest in the backpack). The highlight of my space obsessed 5yo's trip. To stand where a meteorite had crashed to earth was, "just the coolest thing ever!"

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/07/267.jpg

Exploring before dinner.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/07/268.jpg

Lake Eyre - Donald Campbell is their hero. 9 months later, in the Motor Museum at Bathurst, the now 4yo saw a model of the Bluebird and exclaimed, "look, Donald Campbell's car, he drove that on Lake Eyre, we've been there."

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/07/150.jpg

Echidna chasm - Bungles

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/07/269.jpg

[tonic]

Got the cars and the camper trailer but I have not taken my boys camping yet. 4 and 3 year old
This summer I am going to do it and have some fun with them.

The plan bigger trips around Aus

I am lucky that I drive to most parts so of qld and fly to the rest and also the same for NT. So I have seen all of qld and NT on a regular basis well a 8 week cycle really. My area for work that I control and have to visit is every where north of Coffs Harbour and across to the WA border.

So can't wait to go to alot of these places with my boys and not just for work.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

A good starter for you could be with a group of us from GCLRO to Fraser in October. We get a group site and there are $1 showers and good long drops.

We stared our camping here last year. Makes it easy with the young ones to have a couple of luxuries.

Our bloke just coundn't get enough of Eli Creek and Champain pools

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[Reads90]

A good starter for you could be with a group of us from GCLRO to Fraser in October. We get a group site and there are $1 showers and good long drops.

We stared our camping here last year. Makes it easy with the young ones to have a couple of luxuries.

Our bloke just coundn't get enough of Eli Creek and Champain pools

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=63499&stc=1&d=1374974006

That sounds like a plan

Will be looking into that for sure


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

[MacMan]

Lake Eyre - Donald Campbell is their hero. 9 months later, in the Motor Museum at Bathurst, the now 4yo saw a model of the Bluebird and exclaimed, "look, Donald Campbell's car, he drove that on Lake Eyre, we've been there."

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/07/150.jpg



Brilliant image. That's the sort of thing the kids will show their kids one day, and hopefully take them back to see.

[twodoors]

There are so many things that I could say in regard of kids n camping!!..

Simply put I have found that the kids dont really care for all the bells n whistles... For them it simply comes down to the simple family time together.. No xbox / tv / bluray / smart phones!!!

An evening together under the stars around a fire with no distractions and pure interaction with their parents is what mine state makes their trips away....

Again they have a preference for a simple swag although we do take a gazebo for the kitchen set up...not the camper trailer / tent / caravan...

Ages 5, 8 n 18 months...

[Tote]

A Picture of my girls at Farina in 2009.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y127/toteau/Girls/P6080057_zps1625779d.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/user/toteau/media/Girls/P6080057_zps1625779d.jpg.html)

We've done two big trips with the girls now, up the Oodnadatta track to Darwin and back via Ayres Rock and a west - east crossing of the Simpson travelling up the Hay river Track. A month on the road each time with no issues.

Regards,
Tote

[Brad110]

The only thing restricting the kids experience is their parents.

A swag, set jobs, a creek, tree swing and dirt. The bush TV (fire)and the stars.

My kids have done it since they were born. Single parent, kids are responsible for their own actions, swag (pink for 3 yold girls), setting the fire and helping wash up and cook. It's amazing how they have the time to think thru scenarios and take precautions/ actions well beyond your expectations.

And then there's the quality time and family history being created daily. Who wants their kids to show the class a new game or web site on their ipad for show and tell. iPads are for talking books when driving and the apps for star recognition, weather, flora and fauna and mapping....

Then you go home and they do very little